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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Let me just start by saying this is not another PSA about how to pronounce or even spell my name.Although I think we could use refesher. Especially for those who email me or respond to my emails which has my name in it & still spell it Megan. Sigh. My mom gave me the "h" for a reason.

This PSA is about how people pronounce certain words because they drop a letter.I took linguistics in college...I understand dialects are regionals. Trust me I was up my Linguistic Professor's ass! Passed w/ a B!!!

This is about when people feel it necessary to drop the pronunciation of letters that clearly exist in words.

For example, today I was speaking with a woman on the phone.I updated her on the status of something she was looking for.Her reply:"Uh, uh, no way, I orda that lat munt"Thankfully because I have dealt with the public since high school I was able to decipher that she said:
"Uh, uh, no way, I ordered that last month"

Perhaps she thought the "s" in last was optional.Sort of like stop signs....feel free to blow them, it's just an option to stop.

Now "munt" is just wrong altogether.
I can only deduce that she felt the ending "h" in the word, making th sound, was merely a suggestion. Such as a speed limit is a suggestion for roads. "Hey if you would like to pronoune the th sound, feel free, but if you don't, then that's ok too"Of course, she subbed a "u" for the "o". Common in some areas of the country...I assume.

I wanted to help.I wanted to teach her how to speak properly but I thought she obviously has more important things in this life like getting her hearing tested when I had to repeat my answer to her 3x's.Her prompt reply all 3x's:
"Whaaaaa?"Again, she chose not to pronounce the "t".Really, why should she.Clearly, an optional letter in the world.

So, please, world, if the letter is meant to be pronounce, please pronounce it.Of course, if it is not meant to be pronounced, like say the "h" in Meghan, then don't say it. Trust me, after almost 40 yrs the joke gets tired of people saying "Meg-Han"

When people leave the H off in words like umor and ilarious. Growing up in the Midwest, I had a literature teacher in college (from the east coast apparently) who pronounced humor and hilarious and even history that way. Boggled my mind!

Worse are those who don't pronounce Ls and Rs. (Gonna go for a wak outside.)At first I thought a co-worker just had a terrible IQ - then I realized he was from Pennsylvania!!